Dr. Robert J. Rosenthal Appointed Chief Executive Officer of Taconic

Hudson, New York — June 2, 2014 – Taconic announced today the appointment of Dr. Robert J. Rosenthal as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Effective immediately, Dr. Rosenthal will succeed current interim CEO, Samuel Phelan who will focus exclusively on his ongoing role as Chairman of the Taconic Board of Directors.

Dr. Rosenthal has over thirty years’ experience increasing shareholder value and managing scientific and technical companies. Immediately prior to joining Taconic, Dr. Rosenthal served as Chairman and CEO at Intelligent Medical Implants (IMI), a developer of technologies designed to restore vision to individuals blinded by diseases such as retinitis pigmentosa. Prior to IMI, Dr. Rosenthal held the position of President & CEO of Magellan Biosciences, where he helped build the company from a start-up to over $100m in revenues. Dr. Rosenthal’s experience also includes holding positions of CEO and Chief Operating Officer at Boston Life Sciences, Senior Vice President of the Instruments Division at PerkinElmer Inc., and President & CEO of Thermo Optek, the firm that acquired Nicolet Instrument Corporation, where he began his career. Dr. Rosenthal has also held Board of Director and/or Advisory Board positions with the University of Maryland, PrimeraDx Inc., Matritech Inc., Safeguard Scientifics, Inc., Sensorin Inc., and others. He holds a Bachelor's, Master's and PhD in Chemistry from the University of Maryland, The State University of New York, and Emory University respectively, as well as an AEA Executive MBA from Stanford University.

Dr. Rosenthal is joining Taconic at a time when the firm has several ongoing growth initiatives that have positioned it as the world’s leading commercial provider of genetically engineered models and services. Among the most important are the recent launch of CRISPR gene editing technology to generate custom genetically engineered mice, the release of the second generation of humanized CIEA NOG™ models, and the expansion of the firm’s capabilities to provide cell and tissue-based humanized models for use in drug discovery research and preclinical development. Dr. Rosenthal’s track record of successfully helping companies commercialize new products and services will help Taconic successfully capitalize on these initiatives.

Samuel Phelan, Taconic’s Chairman of the Board of Directors comments on the importance of the appointment of Dr. Rosenthal: “Bob has a track record of exceptional leadership in accelerating the growth of several life sciences technology firms by commercializing key products and services. This was the primary reasons we selected him as our Chief Executive Officer. Taconic is focused on providing clients access to novel and innovative technologies that improve biomedical and biopharmaceutical research. Given these opportunities, Bob is the ideal candidate to lead Taconic through another period of rapid growth and success.”

Dr. Rosenthal will be located at Taconic’s global headquarters in Hudson, NY and will spend most of his time during the first few months meeting with customers and visiting Taconic’s employees and facilities worldwide. Dr. Rosenthal states, “I am pleased to join Taconic during a period in which the company has tremendous opportunities for growth. Taconic has a great history of innovation, leadership and quality in the biomedical and biopharmaceutical communities and I hope to build upon that strong reputation by commercializing new products and services that help researchers better understand and treat human diseases.”

About Taconic:
Taconic is a global provider of genetically engineered mouse and rat models and services. As a full-service industry leader, founded in 1952, Taconic helps clients acquire, custom generate, breed, test, prepare, and distribute highly relevant research lines worldwide. Headquartered in New York's Hudson River Valley, Taconic operates six breeding facilities and three service laboratories in the U.S. and Europe. The company employs over 850 employees committed to technological innovation and customer service excellence. Taconic's products and services are used by over 1,300 companies and academic research institutions in nearly 50 nations worldwide.